


The Winter River

by thecootiefairy



Category: Beetlejuice (1988), Beetlejuice - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:53:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24715627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecootiefairy/pseuds/thecootiefairy
Summary: Just about to start their vacation, Adam and Barbara Maitland are caught in an accident that had ended their lives.   Essentially, this is an expansion on the 1988 movie deaths!
Relationships: Adam Maitland/Barbara Maitland
Kudos: 6





	The Winter River

**Author's Note:**

> CONTENT WARNING - drowning!! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this little expansion on movie!Maitland's deaths. Constructive criticism is always accepted!

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather go to.. Jamaica or someplace like that?" 

"No way! There's no place like home."

Barbara Maitland smiled to herself as she briefly envisioned what she and her husband's vacation was going to be like. The duo had been planning to take two weeks off their lives to stay at home and enjoy one another's company, along with perhaps trying to get a family started; this was going to be the start of the rest of their lives. They'd solve some puzzles together, work on their countless crafts, refurbish their home with their anniversary presents, and so on. Honestly, Barbara couldn't be more excited. Eyes on the road as they made the short commute from their hardware store to home, she hummed as her husband, Adam, played with her hair.

In a flash, however, he jerked his hand away from her hair and pointed ahead of them. "HEY! Look out for that dog," he remarked in a panic.

Barbara looked down to the road, her heart dropping as she slammed on the brakes and swerved so they wouldn't hit it. The Maitlands always stopped for animals. Having let out a shriek, they crashed into the cherry-red planks of the Winter River Bridge and sent wood splintering everywhere. Her head slammed back against the headrest, and the car rocked like a boat in stormy waters. The airbags had failed to go off, for better or worse, and she looked to Adam in a tizzy. Her heart raced, and Barbara started trembling as she absorbed how terrifying this situation was. "Adam." She gasped, looking over her shoulder despite being terrified to move. Even the slightest motion felt like it would send them plummeting into the river.

When both she and her husband looked over their shoulders, their gazes were met with a small dog that couldn't weigh more than ten pounds. It's fur messily hung, and it looked up to them with big, beady eyes; it was beyond ironic that such a small creature could hold their lives in its hands. The dog dumbfoundedly took a step on the board, resulting in their yellow station wagon wobbling even more.

"Adam, what do we do?" She continued to inquire, terrified. They couldn't die yet; they had so much to live for. They had to go on that road trip to meet their new niece, and have kids of their own, and grow old together, and finish that puzzle they always said they would but never did, and take that couples tango class. They couldn't die! Adam was speechless as he stared at the dog, not having an answer for his poor wife.

Barbara desperately tried to think this out, but before she could even do anything, the dog hopped off the plank. In the blink of an eye, Adam and Barbara Maitland were sinking into the Winter River river with ear-piercing screams.

Cold water quickly started to flood the car, and Barbara looked to Adam with pure fear in her chocolate eyes; Adam seemed to match her terror. "Hey, hey. It's-it's going to be okay," he tried to quell. There was no sense in panicking! Despite that, they both frantically tried to escape the filling car, unable to help it. Barbara tried to unbuckle her seatbelt, but it was jammed, and she was stuck. If it were even possible, her heart waned even further. With no other option, she thrashed around in an attempt to break free of her confinement to the seat.

Adam, on the other hand, had gotten his seatbelt undone and went to go help Barbara. The water was up to their waists, sending chills up their bodies; winter had just ended, so the water was still icy and crisp. He shivered. Repeatedly pushing in on the red button, both of them failed to get her seatbelt undone, yet Adam kept trying.

Barbara desperately wanted Adam to go escape and save himself, but he wasn't going, and she was far too shocked to try to say anything. Her entire body shook through her squirming as tears streaked her cheeks. The water was up to their chests now, gushing in even quicker. Her heart pounded as she searched for words, unable to find anything within her. This was it. Not able to do anything else, Barbara found his hand under the water and laced their fingers together; it was far too late to stop the speedy water flow. "Adam, honey," she finally and quickly gasped; Barbara was headstrong, but she also knew when to give up a fight. The water was up to their necks. She went on as water rushed up to their faces. "I love you-"

Barely able to get it out, Barbara was submerged in the water. Adam pushed his head up against the roof of the car as he looked to the dark hair floating around Barbara's head, tears streaking his cheeks; through this, he hadn't let go of her hand. "Barbar-" Before he could finish, the entire car was submerged underwater and was sinking towards the sandy bottom of the river.

Barbara's cheeks were full of air as she gave unbuckling her seatbelt one last, frantic go, regardless of knowing it wouldn't work. In her panic, she already felt lightheaded. Jerking her head to Adam, although it was far more elegant underwater, she squeezed his hand. His eyes were despair ridden, and his eyebrow furrowed in that conflicted way she rarely ever saw. Attempting to comfort him, and herself, Barbara brought her hand up to his cheek; he did the same to her. In her last moments, before static speckles flooded her vision, Barbara was looking at Adam, wishing he could have escaped. Yet, at the same time, she found some solace in moving on to the 'afterlife' together.

After a fight to stay conscious a little bit longer, her vision went completely black. Barbara's body went limp, and her mouth fell open, bubbles rising to the surface.

Adam wasn't long to follow.


End file.
